A glossary of terms used in payments and settlement systems

Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems

A glossary of terms used in payments and settlement systems

March 2003

This publication is available only on the BIS website ().

First edition published January 2001. Revised editions published July 2001 and March 2003.

? Bank for International Settlements 2003. All rights reserved. Brief excerpts may be reproduced or translated provided the source is cited.

ISBN 92-9197-133-2 (online)

Foreword

The Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems (CPSS) is publishing this comprehensive glossary of payment system terminology as a reference document for the standard terms used in connection with payment and settlement systems. It combines various glossaries appended to earlier reports by the CPSS and the European Central Bank (ECB).

There are many aspects to payment systems, relating for instance to legal arrangements, technological and operational issues, financial market infrastructures and the conduct of monetary policy. In payment systems, we see the practical application of many concepts that are key to central bank operations and policymaking, such as intraday liquidity, risk management and the oversight of payment and settlement systems. It is often observed that payment system policy planning requires a multidisciplinary approach and a familiarity with a wide range of subjects. Understanding the terminology of payment systems is therefore a key requirement, not only for those involved in day-today activities connected with these systems but also for the policymakers, financial institutions, academics and others interested in these subjects. By bringing together all the terms and concepts associated with payment and settlement systems, this publication aims to provide readers with a single and easily accessible source with which to reference the generally accepted definitions of standard payment system terminology.

I hope readers will find this glossary a valuable addition to the previous work carried out by the Committee and other institutions to advance the understanding of payment and settlement systems. The electronic version of the publication, which is available on the BIS website (), will be regularly updated as new terminology appears in future CPSS publications.

Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, Chairman Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems

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Introduction

Over the years, the terminology relating to payment systems has been steadily refined as payment and settlement infrastructures have evolved and our knowledge of the complexities of the payment process has increased. Developments in technology highlight the importance of consistent usage of new terms, which we need to use whether or not we are technical experts. For example, the concept of real-time processing is intrinsic to understanding the functioning of modern payment systems and figures in discussions among users and experts. As in most disciplines, payments terminology has also been enriched by a number of analytical studies, which have added new concepts and terms.

To this end, the Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems (CPSS) has decided to bring together in a single publication all the standard terms and their definitions that have been published in the reports of the CPSS, the European Monetary Institute (EMI) and the European Central Bank (ECB). The first glossary to be included in this collection is from the report Delivery versus payment in securities settlement systems published in 1992. The "Red Book" series first published in 1993 attempted to provide a standard set of definitions for commonly used payment system terms. Since then, more terms have continually been added with the publication of each new CPSS report. The EMI expanded the collection with the glossary of its "Blue Book", Payment systems in the European Union, published in 1996. These efforts are being continued by the ECB in its successive reports on payment systems. With each additional report, the vocabulary of payment systems continues to grow.

This combined glossary includes terms used in all the glossaries of the CPSS and EMI/ECB reports published to date. In some cases, identical terms have been used to explain concepts that may have different implications depending on the context of their use. For example, "marking to market" is defined differently in a payment system context from the way it is understood in the context of a derivatives contract. In such cases, all the relevant definitions have been included. The source reference given in the last column of each entry indicates the reports where the term was defined, thus enabling the reader to refer back if necessary.

This publication, which will be available on the BIS website (), will be continuously updated to include terminology from new reports as and when they are published. With a view to making this document more user-friendly, readers are invited to send any comments and suggestions to the Committee on Payment and Settlement Systems, Bank for International Settlements, CH-4002 Basel, fax: +41 61 280 9100; e-mail: cpss@ (subject line: Glossary).

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